Major Arcana
by Flames-the-Rabbit344
Summary: Bianca lived a normal life with her sister and parents, dealing with problems like schoolyard snobs and excessive homework. That is, until a secret nighttime outing changes her life forever...
1. Accepted

19:39

Have you ever snuck out at night, stolen your parents car, and when for a drive around town? I'll have you know, I never did. That was my sister (and her boyfriend). Just because I happened to leave the house when I was supposed to be sleeping and happened to help her push the car out of the driveway so the engine noise wouldn't wake up Mom and Dad and I _happened_ to be sitting in the back seat when Madison and Burkley took off towards the town square, frankly, doesn't mean a thing.

Oh, right. I should rewind a bit and explain a little. First of all, my name is Bianca. Second of all, this was _so_ not my fault. Honestly. Just because I asked my parents if we to go to the awesomely awesome candy store downtown and get some sweet stuff with my own money, and just because they said no even though they were going out on errands and invited me along, and just because my sister got this crooked, malicious-looking grin on her face when I complained to her about it _doesn't mean a thing_.

Are we clear on that? Yes? Good.

Anyhow, me, perfectly innocent 12-year-old Bianca, Madison, the 17-year-old evil mastermind behind this mess who I could technically blame for how topsy-turvy my life became after that ride, and Burkley were piled in my family's banged-up Malibu and cruising down the street. The car's pretty old, slightly rusted around the edges, constantly covered it dirt, and does work as well as it used to, but I wouldn't ever want to sell it and get a new one. It was like part of the family.

"So, Anca, how much money 'you got?" Burkley asked me in that flippant way of his. I scowl and stuck my tongue out at him, even though he could see because I was sitting behind him. He knows I don't let anyone call me Anca. Except sometimes Mom.

"I've got twenty-eight dollars, three cents, and maple syrup. I've been saving." I told him matter-of-factly, holding up the tiny bottle of medium-light Vermont maple syrup that I had stuck into my purse two weeks ago when my family and I went to a pancake dinner served at my school. Burkley twisted his head around to see. "What can I get with that?"

Madison spoke up. "A lot. Especially if the guy at the counter _really_ likes maple syrup." She turned onto the next street over. "Where do what to hit?" I put my bottle back in my purse, and tucked it back into my winter jacket pocket.

"Life is Sweet," I told her, although she probably already knew that. "And GameStop and Borders."

"We'll probably gonna stop downtown first. The Borders area is a bit far, though." My sister pondered.

"We could stop for gas." I suggested. Madison looked unsure. She looked at Burkley, who shrugged and crossed his hands behind his head, as if to say "Sure, why not?"

"So, I've got fifty." Burkley started. "And Maddy's got forty-two. All-in-all, we've got about a hundred-twenty." I grinned. You can get a lot of candy with that.

Madison pulled the car to the side of the road, and parked it in front of the theater. I stepped into my shoes, and zipped up my jacket before I gently pushed open the car door and enter the chilled night air. People get slightly suspicious if a girl in a nightgown and slippers walks into their store.

What I really like about Life is Sweet, beside it having every awesome candy that there is, is that it's underground. There's a little staircase set into the sidewalk, right up next to the building it's under. It's way cool. The only drawback is that it's kind of narrow, but it's usually not a problem.

As I gently slipped into the underground candy store, holding the door for Burkley, who was behind me, I stop a minute to take in the scent that lingered as delicate as lace in the air. I love the way the place smells, like chocolate edged with fruit and sugar, softly mixed with Pixie stick scent. It's a masterpiece.

I happily grabbed a clear plastic bag from a small basket full of them up front, and grabbed a clear plastic glove form the box beside it, making small talk with the lady at the counter as I scooped handfuls of candy from the bid glass jars that covered the table set up in the center of the tiny place, and took up most of it. I gawked and drooled at the fancy, expensive fudge in the glass cases in the counter, weighed my bag on the counter scale, and happily drew out my money and handed it to the woman.

"That place is the _best_." I said between bites of chocolate-covered-raisins as we walked back to the car with our bags of candy. Burkley grinned and offered me a handful of Mike & Ike's in exchange for a chocolate covered pretzel. I gave Maddy a couple of Swedish fish.

"So, where to next?"

"The Borders plaza." I snapped back almost immediately. I always liked Borders. You can find any book there. Me? I'm a bit of a bookworm, almost as much as I am a sugar junkie. Borders also has CDs galore. Oh, and it's right by GameStop, my eternal source of entertainment. Where would I be without my video games?

Of course, if I had known just how much my life would have changed during that game-and-book run, I think I'd probably had shied away from that place. Then again, maybe I would have been even more eager. Who knows?

My sister pulled up to the parking lot tuck neatly in front of the "Wall of Stores", as I had nicknamed it. I leaned in and knocked Burkley on the arm. "Punch buggy." I told him cheekily. I don't know why, but this lime green punch buggy is always parked over to the side of the side of the building, sort of near the Home Depot. Maybe the guy who owns it works there?

"Wa-hoo!" I cheered softly as I hopped out of the car. Madison set one hand on her hip, the way she does when she has to "be the adult".

"Okay, let's make this kind of quick, right guys? We don't want to be out to late." I yawned a little as she spoke, and opened on eye to look at her.

"Yeah, whatever. It's Friday. It's not like we have to wake up early next mornin'." I retorted. She sighed, and I dashed towards the store. Burkley quickly rush to follow me.

I pushed open the golden-orange-brown double doors, and the environment shifted from the dark starry night to a brightly lit busy bookstore. There was a stand with a display of new books out front. I glanced over it, but there was nothing that really caught my eye. There was a book by the author of a series I like, but I had read about the new non-series book, and it didn't sound that attention getting.

I quickly took off towards the kids' section. My quick, light steps pulled to a halt in front of a bookshelf that was about my height. It had four shelves on it, and had a curly-Q design carved into the edges of each shelf. It wasn't very noteworthy to look at, but it's always the first I check.

"Oooh, Percy Jackson. Huh, they have the new Warriors book… "Which cat will complete the prophecy?" Well, that's a lame tagline. There're the Vladimir Tod books… I wonder if they'll ever write a new one? Hmm, Keys to the Kingdom…" I was aware that I was mumbling out loud, and tried to make sure if was soft enough so no one heard me. I sometimes accidently start talking to myself.

I slinked off towards the back of the section. Most of the shelves looked like they needed restocking, but I could find something worthwhile. They had a few CDs, although nothing very promising. Well, except the over priced ones. Me, Maddy, and Burkley had totaled up our money and divided it evenly, but I had spent a lot on candy, and wanted to have some left for GameStop.

I hummed a little of a song I had had earlier today as I headed towards the manga section. Maybe I should get the first volume of Black Cat… I had never read the manga, but Burkley said it was great.

I shuffled between the shelves aimlessly… No new volume of Kingdom Hearts. I considered getting some Tokyo Mew Mew, but change my mind. I decided to get something new today.

Boy, if only I had known _how_ new…

_New girl. New new. Lost. It's lost. New. New girl. New wings. Not here. Not not. What?_

I flinched, and grasped the shelf in front of me in surprise. I considered screaming. I glanced behind me, to the side, to the other side… No one. No one was there. Who had said that? Was I imagining things? Was someone trying to pull a trick on me?

_Wings. No wings. Not here. Lost. Too lost. Not here. No wings. Who?_

What? Wings? Something was lost? I was definitely imagining things.

_Here. Not here! No wings. She can't. New girl. No. No way. Not a way. Stop! Where?_

What in the world? Was I going crazy? I movies people who hear voices in there head are usually crazy. Or dealing with telepaths. And I, frankly, was sure that stuff didn't exist. And, yes, I was sure this voice was in _my head_, which really just made this all crazier. The sound seemed to resound, but it didn't come from anywhere, like when your wearing headphones.

_Now! Here. Come here. Not her. New girl. No. No new girl. Back. Back. Back. Back back back back back backbackbackbackback! BACK! How?_

Then, something strange, or rather, something _else_ strange, happened. Something fell, and landed right in front of me. I look up. There was nothing it could've fallen off of. The ceiling was completely smooth. There was no one who could've dropped it. There was nothing sticking out for it to drop off. And beside, the thing didn't look like some piece of junk that chipped of a ceiling.

It was like stone. Or metal. Its surfaces were perfectly smooth. It was shaped like a heart, colored a nice rose red color. There was an indent on the front that had the shape of a keyhole. There were creamy off-white-colored pieces jutting out of one side, curving and coming to perfect tips. They looked a set of extravagant angel wings, except they were only on one side. All-in-all, it was a little smaller than my hand.

As I studied it, I could help but get this creepy prickle on the back of my neck, like someone was watching me. I turned slowly, and, sure enough, someone was there, his eyes lock on me. He has older than me, but still a bit under Madison and Burkley's age. He had long, deep black hair that look a little unruly. He kept in a long, trailing ponytail, and his pale green eyes look soft and confident, like they were trying to say "So there" to that nasty crooked smirk of his.

I wasn't sure whether I like the look of this guy or not.

"So, now, look what you've down." Oddly, the busy, bustling store suddenly seemed very empty, and there was no one even generally near the two of us. So, of course, I found it weird that the flick of his eyes made it seemed like he wasn't talking to me.

_Sorry sorry. No good. New girl. Not. New girl. No. Needless. Tried. Didn't. Bad. New girl-girl. Charm. On own. When?_

That was when, just when you thought it was safe to go back to bookstore, something _else _unexplainable happened. The airs by the mystery boy's shoulder shimmered, shifted, and suddenly something appeared. It coiled gently and rested on the boy shoulders, curling a bit, like a scarf.

Describing it would be… difficult. It was sort like a fox or ferret. Even though it seemed solid, it still had a faint translucency about it when it shifted in the light. Its fur, if that's what it was, was soft, whitish sky blue. It had – and I am not making this up – a pair of tiny tinted goggles strapped on his head.

"Sorry. Sorry. Didn't! Didn't mean. Want to. It was… Charm. Not good at all. No. Acted. It acted on it's own. I told it to stop, but I didn't. I'm sorry, boss." I don't know why, but as the fox-ferret-thing talked – yes, _talked_ – its word's seemed to start choppy and jumbled, but sorted they out as he went on. It occurred to me, just then, that it sounded a lot like the voice in my head.

The boy's peridot gaze, which was starting to make me feel mildly awkward, shifted towards his companion, and he patted it gently on the head. "S'okay, Alessio. If the Charm wanted her, then maybe it'll work out." I got the awkward feeling that "her" was me. "You! Girl! Your name?"

It took me a second to realize he was talking to me. I flinched slightly at the way he talked. It was like I was inferior. Then again, as far as I knew, I _was_. "First, don't call me "Girl"." I told him firmly. He was certainly not the only one with an attitude. "My name is Bianca."

"'Kay, mouse girl." He said. "No need to get huffy." He muttered something I couldn't catch, and then kept talking. "ViVid. That's my name." It was probably spelled like "vivid", but he pronounced it oddly, like "vee-vid". Not that I care much.

"_Mouse girl_?" I spat out angrily. ViVid smirk.

"Yeah, 'mouse girl'. Bianca, like the girl in "The Taming of the Shrew". You look kind of mousy, too, so it works."

ViVid. I'd have to remember that name. "ViVid"; perhaps the first person I could hate. And that was saying a lot, what with the kids at my school and all.

"So, Mr. Smart Guy, tell me." I thrust the angel-heart-key thing out it front of me. "What's this dohickey?" I swear his pet smirked a little.

ViVid, on the other hand, scowled deeply and his eyes flashed. "The Magician is _not_ a 'dohickey'!" He snapped. "If you knew _anything_ of that and what you've—" He quieted embarrassedly as Alessio swished his tails fur gently over ViVid's mouth, breaking his momentum.

"What he _means_ is that's the Magician, on of the twenty-one Arcana Charms. The second crafted, to be exact. The Arcana Charms are special talismans that Mother made…" he paused, and tipped his head slightly to one side. "…Oh, it was many years. They're Intelligent Devices, and quite powerful. When one is issued, it bonds to its holder, and gives them…" he stopped again. "…Certain…powers. Yes, that's a good word for it. Each one also starts to draw power from a certain element; one that best suits the holder. As fate would have it, you have been issued the Magician."

I think the world stopped turning for a few fractions of a second there. I think my mouth was open, and a sputtered as I tried to wrap my mind around what I had just been told – by a talking fox-ferret in goggles, at that.

"Wait… I've been 'issued' this…" I told myself to refrain from calling it a dohickey. "…Charm. And it gives me _powers_?" I looked down at the Magician. "And it's 'intelligent'? Why did I get, though? Why is it called 'the Magician'? What's this all about?" I was faintly aware that my voice was rising, but since Borders was now entirely deserted, I didn't care.

Alessio nodded quietly. "The Arcana Charms are all semi-sentient. They sense, react, and bond. They were named by Mother back when they were first created, and I don't know why she named them what she did." He smiled, both warmly and evilly. "And, yes, you've got power. Have you noticed that you're hearing and understanding me? You wouldn't be able without the Magician. That's one of them.

As for, 'what's going on', you see—"

You know what's really good at cutting people off? Explosions. Oh, and, no, this isn't something that just happened to occur to me at the time. Just then, there was an explosion over by the front of the store. And then it got freaky. Some_thing_ burst out of the smoke and rubble, and smash right across the building towards us.

In one swift movement, ViVid dash across the bookshelfed-in area, scooping me up, and leap over the shelves to the other side of the building. Now, describing things is getting a little tiring, but I'll obliged for you guys. The thing that had destroyed a chunk of the Borders? It was, I saw as it shoved aside ruins and started towards ViVid, and me surprisingly about the size of a person.

It looked a little like a human, too, aside from the pure black skin, which was completely featureless except for the eyes, and had white-marked tentacles that fell behind it's head like hair. I really didn't like it.

"Okay, handsome, what the hell is that thing?" I demanded as ViVid landed gracefully on the top of a shelf of new releases. "And," I added as he less-than-gently set me down "if you try to carry me like that again, I will slap you."

ViVid huffed. "That's a Remnant." He explained coolly. "A malicious soul in a weak mind and unstable body. It lost itself, and now it's a monster."

I gaped as what that entailed sank it. "You mean… That things a person?" ViVid nodded.

"Uh-huh. It was." He had a faraway look in his eyes. "But not anymore." He shot me a look, and, with a brief burst of light, something landed gently in his palm. "I hope you're up for a fight." Just like that, he leap up, barreling towards the 'Remnant' and whipping the hand that held that object he conjured as it started to glow.

I lost sight of ViVid and the Remnant as they made contact and the resulting smoke and explosion obscured the scene. Alessio curled gently on the ground and looked up at me. "He's always so ready to prove." He muttered to himself. Then he glanced up at me.

My attention turned back to the CD section of Borders, where ViVid and the Remnant were fighting. As the smoke started to clear, ViVid back flipped out of the space it covered, landing nicely on his feet. He was, I noticed, holding twin blades, one in each hand, something he didn't have before. I wondered if it had something to do with the glowing thing.

The Remnant burst out of the smoke, plowing right into ViVid, who held up his blades in defense. His feet skid backwards, but he growled and held his ground firmly.

"He needs help." I flinched. I was so busy watching the fight; it had almost escaped my mind that Alessio was still there. He twitched his nose and shifted his position. "I'd be happy to assist him, but this Remnant is quite… different. Perhaps… two Charms would do the trick." He spoke in a tone one would use when they were trying to tell you something, but didn't wanted to outright state it.

"Wait… t-two? Then… Magician and… ViVid has an Arcana Charm?" I blinked confused, and Alessio nodded tiredly, and curled up around himself.

In a grim tone of voice, he added. "Poor boss…" Alessio tensed and his head shot up immediately. "ViVid!" I whipped around, just in time to see the boy in question be knocked across the very-destroyed room, smashing… painfully-lookingly on the floor. I winced sympathetically. He looked hurt, and the Remnant was still approaching. ViVid raised his blades and rose to his feet again, though he looked quite wobbly.

"Boss…" Alessio looked pleadingly up at me. "Help him." He said firmly. He slithered over the floor, hopping up leg. Alessio nudged the hand that I still clutched the Magician in, and I gently unfolded my fingers. I had been clutching it so hard; the tips of the wings had drawn blood.

"If you accept her, she is yours…" He spoke softly, but with a hard-to-define power in his voice. He lifted his head and looked at me. "You accept its path, laid out before?" I nodded slowly. Somehow, I knew this meant a whole lot to him, so I complied. "Until three hearts shall open six doors… Feel her soul is you heart, her life is your lore…" Alessio finished speaking, and leaped back to the ground at once.

The Magician pulsed and glowed faintly, and then grew brighter and brighter, until I had to cover my eyes with one hand. "It has begun!" I heard Alessio's voice, but I couldn't see a thing through the great light.

And then, the glow explode, and… a faint sound of music echoing…

I felt as light as a feather, and like I was alive for the first time. Like the world didn't exist, but it existed to its fullest. It was impossible to describe.

And then it was over, as soon as it had been. I was a scared 12-year-old in pajamas in a deserted bookstore again.

But then again, I wasn't.

For one thing, the Magician was gone. In its place, there was a sort of staff. It was about as tall as me, and carved from some sort of wood and was perfectly smooth, not at all rough like wood usually is expected to be. There was line of tiny light blue jewels spiraling down the handle, and two short, white, wing shaped blades jutted out of the top.

"Cool." Was all I could say. And believe me, it was.

With newfound strength, I leapt from where I stood, plowing right in the Remnant. It roared, and whipped around to strike me. I managed to dodge most of it, but she – and I had decided it was a she – slashed at my leg, and I stumbled. What the heck was I thinking? This was harder than I thought.

ViVid managed to jump over and landed a pretty good hit on her back, and she lashed out at knocked him back again. Except, this time, he whipped around in the air, and a sphere of wind suddenly formed around him, lowering him gently onto the floor again. "Ow…"

The Remnant turned her attention back to me, and, I'll admit, I freaked out a little and screamed as she charged at me. I held up my staff defensively, and it recoiled back it a sudden burst of energy. A bright blue energy surge arced from the staff, striking her with a blast point-blank. I faint chill lingered in the air, and I soon saw why: the energy had frozen the Remnant's leg, firmly securing her in place on the ground.

"N-nice…" ViVid muttered, clutching his side in pain. He managed to gain a more stable balance, and slowly approached the shrieking Remnant, who twisted in her leg's ice casing, trying to attack one of us from where she was stuck. I bit the edge of my lip.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly. "That's looks, uh, painful." ViVid smirked a little.

"Ah, I'll live, Mouse." He raised his twin blades, pointing them both at the trapped Remnant. Alessio slinked up beside me. "Now, let's get rid of this thing. Alessio will tell you the words."

Alessio nodded, and ViVid began to speak. "Charm of the Lovers…"

"Charm of the Magician…" I repeated as Alessio whispered to me.

"This soul, this body…"

"This heart, this mind…"

"Tainted, corrupted, and led astray…"

"Let it try again and find its way…"

"MAJOR ARCANA, SOUL RELEASE!" We shouted it as one, and the sudden cold and burst of wind almost knocked me over, but Alessio wrapped around my ankle firmly and steadied me. It was blinded for a few seconds, and when everything cleared, the screeching Remnant was gone, and that was left were a few cracked shards of ice. My staff was gone, and the Magician was back in my hand. ViVid's twin blades had disappeared.

I blinked softly, and fell onto my knees. "Wha-what just happened?" ViVid yawned and tossed his Arcana Charm to himself, then slid it into his pocket.

"The Remnant's soul was released. Her body, mind, and heart will reform, and she'll return. No one will ever remember she was gone." He glanced wearily around the bookstore, and gingerly touched his scrapes. "Um, this we can't fix to easily."

Reality suddenly shifted and snapped back into place. "Wait a minute! Where are Madison and Burkley? And everyone else in the store?" Alessio smiled and uncoiled himself from my ankle.

"Why, they're back home, sleeping and dreaming. As is everyone else close enough to notice this. As are you!"

I shook my head. "What?" I said plainly. And then I passed out.

* * *

(A/N: _Ugh… I _should_ probably put this up on FictionPress, but I'm still working out the detail with my FP account, so I decided to stick this here. I hope you don't mind. By the way, this is the longest single-chapter I have ever written. And I'm very proud of myself_.)


	2. Beckoned

Among the emptied streets of Selene City, a scream resounded through the air, which, surprise you as it might, had a way of shattering the silent tranquility. A single person, a young woman, ran blindly through an alley, bolting down a nearby street.

The reason for this turn of events was plain as the daylight that had yet to come. A Remnant.

"EEK! Someone help!"

The beast burst from the alley, tearing after the woman, hell bent on catching his prey. The helpless woman, as she attempted to round a corner at the end of the avenue, tumbled painfully to the sidewalk.

I sighed. "Man, I wonder if I'll ever get used to this…" Well, no time to dwell on that…

With a mighty leap, I plummeted down from the rooftop, landing neatly between the Remnant and his victim of the day, ViVid landing beside me. The Remnant reared back at the sudden presence of another variable in his equation. I smirked. "Easy as falling off a log." With a flash of cerulean-tinted light, my staff materialized. "Well, what say we show this creepy bastard how we do things downtown?"

"Lamest line ever."ViVid informed me. "Let's just get on with this."

"Yeah, whatever."I raised my staff, swinging it in one huge arcing motion, and a burst of chilling wind and snow swooped in on the Remnant. It screeched in pain, coiling back, but quickly lunged forward again. I leapt to one side, and it's attack smashed pathetically into the road. "Now would be a good time!"

"I'm on it, Mouse."That was when ViVid leapt into the air with a tremendous kick and descended gracefully, smashing his heel into the reptilian Remnant's head, kicking off lightly, and landing back in the street.

"GUUUUUUUUUR-RRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOHH!" It roared out angrily.

"My, what a lovely singing voice he must have…" I stated, completely deadpan. ViVid threw me a look. "What?" I asked coyly.

The Remnant rushed at the two of us again, and we both leapt off to opposite sides. I have to hand it the guy, no matter how annoying ViVid can get, he's quite good with the acrobatics. Before he even touched the ground again, he kicked off from a lamppost, ricocheting back at the Remnant thing. With a double-slash of his twin swords at the Remnant, he jumped up, wind gathering around his blades. He crossed them over, and whipped them apart, and the gale soaring through the air and smashed into the Remnant.

"Well, let's do this." He said plainly as he landed back on the ground again, on the monsters other side. "Charm of the Lovers…"

"Right. Charm of the Magician…" I raised my staff, and the jewels dotting it glowed faintly as we recited the words.

"MAJOR ARCANA, SOUL RELEASE!" The Remnant exploded into light, and the air rushed and dropped a few degrees. As the light cleared, I dispelled my staff and the Magician dropped back into my hand. I heaved a yawn.

"Excellent." I shot an aside glance at Alessio as he slinked up to the area of the street where ViVid and me stood. "That's the third you've taken out, and I think we can call it a night."

"All in a night's work… A night I _should_ have spent sleeping. I have school tomorrow!" I stuffed the Magician back into my coat pocket, and scooped up Alessio. "Let's head home."

ViVid shrugged, and I noticed his green eyes had a bit of a dull look in them. "You guys can. I think I'll do a few more round through the city first."

"Sure, go right ahead." I stated as I cracked my neck and stretched a little. Alessio nodded, and ViVid took off towards the other end of town.

"I wonder what's for breakfast tomorrow…" I mumbled as me and Alessio trotted off. I cast an aside glance at the woman we just saved. She was walking off, slinging her purse over her shoulder, acting like, "Okay, a monster tried to eat me, and I got saved by two kids who aren't older enough to drive. Nothing to see here."

Anyhow, Bianca here. It's been only three weeks since the one night I'll probably have some trouble forgetting, and I'm amazed how easily I've slipped into my new job. Surprisingly, it's not that bad. A few late nights here, a couple near-death fights there… Nothing an Arcane Wielder, her jerk companion, and her pet ferret can't handle.

As for how that…interesting encounter last night ended, I woke up at home several hours later. ViVid was slumped boredly on the bottom bunk of my bunk beds. He told me how much I snored, and briefly explained the aftermath. Madison, Burkley, everyone at the Borders, everybody nearby the Borders, and anyone who encountered or saw me or anyone I just listed, had their memories tossed around a bit (courtesy of Alessio) and a large chunk of those people were suddenly overcome with a need to go back home and go to sleep.

However, fixing the Borders was what they two of them couldn't handle. And that could be a problem, because the Borders looked like a couple of stupid kids with cool weapons had duked it out with a malicious monster that wanted to eat people.

Which is ironic, really, because that's exactly what happened.

Anyhow, the news and government, who were probably much more dumbfounded that they would let on, came up with some pseudo-plausible excuse for the bookstore we accidently wrecked.

As for ViVid and Alessio, they would be staying with me for a while, and – Alessio's memory-tampering to the rescue! – my parents and sis had no reason to think that having some sarcastic guy who came out of nowhere and a talking ferret living in the house was anything out of the ordinary. After all, what else does every household need?

"So, Alessio…" I asked casually, trying to make conversation. "How long do we have to keep this up?"

Alessio yawned, his tiny mouth gaping open tiredly. "I don't know, really… I never seen such an immense emergence of Remnants… Usually, having the boss and I go after them is enough…" He shifted in my arms, worried. "I can't help but wonder if something's _causing_ so many Remnants to be born, perhaps for a purpose…"

Okay, _that _kind of disturbed me. I mean, who would want to make Remnants? Seriously, who would look at one and says, "Oh, a massive _thing_ that used to be human and now goes around eating people… It's so cute! Let's get more!"

"Oh, hey, 'Lessio. I was wondering… Why do you always call ViVid boss?"

Alessio hesitated before giving me a reply. "Because that's what he is. I screwed up, and now I have to work for him and save the world. It's actually not that bad…"

"Um, what do you mean exactly?" I turned a corner down Tally Street, just one road away from the street I live on.

"I guess I was kind of stupid. I did something wrong, and Mother got angry. So, after ViVid was issued the Lovers and his position as an Arcane Wielder, she decided that, as punishment, I had to assist and work for him, and beat up Remnants whenever they pop up." He yawned again. " I think Mother thought it would be worse than it turned out. ViVid actually really likes me. Just expect me to listen to _you_ that much."

I smiled a little at that. Alessio, all the power and wisdom and loyalty aside, can be quite… What's the word? Roguish. Although, it seemed to me that he and ViVid had stuck together for a pretty long time, and that Alessio really was looking out for us more often than not. I think I could get used to the guy.

"So, _this_ is that new Arcane Wielder?" I immediately froze and clutched at the Magician, still in my pocket, as a voice suddenly slice through the night air. Alessio tensed and jumped out of my arms as the speaker appeared before us, standing proudly in the middle of the sidewalk before. "And here I was, hoping for a challenge…"

A whipped out the Magician and shifted it into my staff in two seconds flat. "Who are you?" I demanded.

The woman laughed. I really didn't like her laugh. Just by looking at her, I could she was going to be trouble. She had long dark green hair, and amber eyes with slitted, cat-like pupils. She wore a tight, body-hugging red top, and a long, swishing black skirt. It didn't look like she was wearing shoes. Mystery woman had her eyes locked on Alessio and me and had a malicious grin etched on her face. I didn't know why, I felt like her face was a little familiar… I didn't bother dwelling on that though.

"My name is Ivy." She said slyly. "Well, actually, it's Martha Ivine, but I prefer Ivy." She whipped her hand across, releasing her grip on a small item she has holding. I floated and spun in front of her. "And I have orders to get you meddlers out of the way. It seems our mistress doesn't like you hurting her creations."

The object before her stopped moving and glowed, and I got a pretty good look at it. It was shaped like a spade, and was a deep black color. Two slightly detached silver lines curled around it gently. There was a keyhole-shaped indent on the front.

I don't know why, but I immediately realized what it was. An Arcana Charm. That was not good.

Ivy's Charm started glowing a dark midnight blue color and shifting in shape. I knew what that meant, so I quickly took the opportunity. I leapt at her, batting the Charm away easily. I clattered dully to the ground. Not that I noticed or anything, as I sent a wild kick at this nasty newcomer. Ivy bounded backwards to avoid my attack, and I whipped my staff around to strike her.

She dodged the swing, but the resulting blast of ice hit her full force. She yelped and flew back, but regained her senses and flipped in midair, landing nicely on the ground. "Now, now, little one. Didn't anyone tell you that it's not nice to attack strangers?"

I growled. "Didn't anyone ever tell _you_ that it's not nice to make fun of people for being young?" I shot back. Alessio, who was going to retrieve Ivy's Charm, gave me a critizing look.

"Bianca, don't antagonize her." He reminded me. However, in the process of giving me useless advice, me also alerted Ivy to his location, and she abruptly dove past me, managing to avoid the staff attack I threw at her, and snatched her Charm away from the little guy.

"Sorry, weasel, but the Tower is mine." She shot at him with a sneer. Ivy cartwheeled, hopped back to her feet, and spun on her heel to face us. "Although, I have to hand it to you. You guys are a bit more up to a challenge than I thought."

She smirked. "This calls for further re-consideration." She smiled with sickening false cheer, gave a childish salute, and dissolved into nothing with a faint splash.

"Hmph." I snorted, and change my staff back into the Magician. "That was irritating."

Alessio was apparently not listening to me. He was seething and staring at the spot that Ivy disappeared. "Um, Alessio…?" I asked timidly.

"Weasel?" he growled.

"Uh, maybe—"

"_Weasel_?" he barked. "Who is she calling a weasel?!"

I let out an exasperated sigh. Alessio was too wrapped up in his angry to pay attention. As he vented out complaints angrily, I just sighed, walked over, and picked him up. "Either way, it's late. Let's head home."

"I am _not_ a weasel." Alessio grumbled. I just sighed again.

* * *

"So…" I said tentatively. "Let's see if I got this right…" Alessio nodded. "Vivid went off on his own, and he still hasn't come back?" Alessio nodded again. "Then this weird woman shows up…"

"…And calls _me_ a _weasel_…" he griped. I groaned. Alessio shot me that same condemning look.

"…And she mentions some mistress…." I continued. Alessio nodded and gave me a "Get on with it" look. "And then you find something important?"

"Basically." Alessio stated. I rolled my eyes.

"And this important thing would be…?"

Alessio glanced away, uncertain and worried. He slinked off my bed, and slipped underneath it. A second later, he reemerged, nudging something out with his nose. "Look."

I hopped down from my bottom bunk and knelt next to him. I gently picked up the little trinket he pushed out. It was shaped like a small cross; gold in color, with extravagant and delicately carved curves on the ends. A short, shabby chain was attached to a link on the back.

And, yes, there was a small keyhole shaped indented onto the front.

I stared at it, admittedly dumbfounded. Because I recognized it. "But… this is…" I gazed at Alessio, who nodded gloomily.

"Yes, the Lovers… ViVid's Arcana Charm…" he answered, wording my thoughts and fright perfectly. "I found it on your outside window still." He pointed his stubby nose towards my window.

"But… the window… That would have to mean th-that someone _put it_ there."

Alessio nodded. "And I would bet that a _certain woman_ we know had something do with it." He said "certain woman" in the same way that someone might say "evil bunnies" or "extra homework".

"Yeah, and Ivy said she was working for someone… And she had a Charm, too; the Tower." I reminded him. He nodded sullenly.

"We have to go look. Finding either of them would be a step in the right direction."

I was about to agreed, but then something occurred to me. "Um… Can this, uh, wait? I have to go to school in, like, ten minutes…"

Alessio sighed. "You go. I see what I do on my own. I'll meet you at the school when you're dismissed. That's two-thirty, right?"

I bit my lower lip a little. "Um, is that a good idea? You know, with Ivy running about, and ViVid…" Alessio smirked a little, as much as a blue talking ferret can.

He lifted one paw and pulled his goggles down over his eyes. "Don't underestimate me, okay? And besides – in case you haven't noticed – I'm small. I can get around a lot easier."

"Well, okay, if you're sure. Just be careful." I replied.

"Bianca!! You're going to be late!" I grimaced as a mood-killer barreled through my door in the form of my mom's voice. I groaned, and pulled my backpack onto my shoulders. "That's my cue." I told Alessio, and hurried into the hall.

"Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad." I said as I pulled on my jacket and scurried out the door. Suddenly, I couldn't really suppress the bubble of anxiety and annoyance as I stomped down the front steps. I was pretty sure right now, something was creating and controlling all the dumb Remnants that we had to fight. This Ivy freak was working for-slash-with this mystery person, and now ViVid was nowhere to be found. And what was I doing right now?

I was going to middle school. Yes, fate can be very taxing and cruel.

* * *

Ugh. I was the last period on what was the worst school day of my life. Even chorus, food prep, and lunch where somehow un-enjoyable. (And it didn't help that we had chicken fajitas for lunch. Bleck.).

This weird lump in my throat won't go away. My head was buzzing with thoughts. I think I was getting a headache. I kept wondering about where ViVid and Alessio were now.

I couldn't help but wonder if ViVid…

I shook my head furiously, and told myself to stop worrying so much. Why was I so worked up, anyway? I had fought off shadowy freaks that wanted to eat me before, but, somehow, this was more worrying. Maybe because I had little idea what was going on? At least I _knew_ that there were monsters, and that they wanted to eat me, and that I could take them on.

Maybe it was because I was more worried about ViVid than I'd prefer to admit.

And I completely deny saying that.

As soon as the school bell rang, and as soon as the teacher said, "You can go now." I gathered up my stuff and hurried out. I pushed my way through the bustling hallway. Thankfully, my locker wasn't too far from the math room.

After getting my coat and backpack from my locker, I dashed off towards the front door of the building. As I hurried up a small flight of stairs, I stopped abruptly at the inside doorway in front of me, as to avoid bumping into the girl who was trying to go through the door the opposite way. A girl I recognized…

"Ew! Don't touch me." Emma reminded me sharply, slipping past me with a sneer.

Why do Those Girls always feel they need to remind me no to touch them (almost) every time I they see me? I got the point the first time, and it's not like I'd want to anyway.

Those Girls is what I've taken to calling Emma Frostwood, Ava Jenkins, and Nicole Finch; basically the biggest pains in the neck that any middle-schooler could and should ever have to meet.

There's also Those Guys, these four guys that also meet the standards of Those Girls, but I have other things to worry about right now, so I'll dwell on the concept later.

As soon as I got outside, I quickly rushed down to the sidewalk, glancing around a little. "Alessio?" I called, trying to be heard enough so he'd notice, but not so that I drew too much attention. Of course, that wasn't really a problem, because, after school's dismissed, it's massive chaos on the schoolyard.

"Over here." I soft voice called from the left. "And be quiet."

A hopped over the wooden railing around a patch of grass tucked away in the corner of the schoolyard. Alessio was curled up beside a short, leafy tree, the only noticeable landmark in the tiny field out front.

I grumbled a bit as I knelt down in front of him. "Aren't you worried about being seen? You're kind of out in the open."

Alessio shrugged and shifted position a little. "Not a problem. Anyone else'll forget me as soon as they see me."

I huffed. "Whatever." I was itching to know. "Did you find anything?"

"Well, sort of…"

"And what would be?"

I swear, Alessio was hiding a smile as he responded. "Well, why don't you come and see?" He unfurled his blue-furred formed, and slithered off. I trailed after him a little slower, but as he picked up speed, I had to run to keep up. He darted over sidewalks and across roads with ease. I was pretty sure my mom was not gonna be happy about me not coming straight home after school.

He stopped so abruptly that I nearly tripped over him. As I stumbled and regained my balance, I gave a sweeping glance to the place where we stopped. I hadn't really been paying attention to the surroundings when I was following Alessio.

It realized awkwardly that this was the old alley next to the church downtown. "Um, why are we here?" I inquired. Alessio sighed and pointed upward with his nose.

I glanced up, and recoiled and yelped in surprise as a person unexpectedly landed right in front of me, her red pigtails fluttering as she steadied herself. "That would be why."

The new girl grinned, and grabbed my hand to shake. "Silphy Hinagiku. Nice to meet you!" She told me cheerfully.

"Uh, I'm Bianca." I informed her hesitantly. "And it's, ah, nice to meet you, too." I gave Alessio a confused look. Who was this girl, anyway?

Alessio apparently knew what I was thinking, and piped up to explain. "Anyhow, Silphy here is an… Arcane Wielder." Silphy nodded vigorourly. "And she wants to help."

I just stood there for a second or two, and then worded my thoughts as eloquently as I could. "What?" Alessio chuckled.

"Hey, did you really think that there weren't others out there? Um, as faith would have, it… she's been watching you… for a while now." He continued awkwardly.

I looked at Silphy quizzically. She grinned merrily. "You, my dear, are interesting." She asserted. "And I like observing people! I wan to be a professional sociologist when I'm older, you know."

I nodded numbly. This girl talked a lot, and apparently had been spying on me. But, she didn't seemed _that_ bad…

"A-ha-ha-ha… Look at this. Traitors and enemies all gathered together. I smell a promotion headed my way." I understandably flinched. You'd almost think I'd be used to insane occurrences in my life now, but voices coming out of nowhere without speakers are a bit much.

Ivy, with a brief blue glow, appeared before us, standing lightly on a pole jutting out form one of the buildings on either side, with that same sickening grin. Only, this time, she was hefting a humongous mallet over her shoulder. "Hey, Shortstack. Did you miss me? It's been a little while."

"Not long enough." I spat, and added under my breath, "And who is she calling Shortstack?!"

"Whoa." Silphy observed. "She's ugly."

It's not that I wouldn't agree with her, but that immediately struck me as a poor move. Ivy seemed to agree. Her eyes narrowed angrily and she gripped her hammer's handle tightly. Without warning, she leapt from her perch, barreling through the air, and just barely circumvented hitting Silphy. Man, that girl had fats reflexes. "Who care to repeat that?" Ivy shrieked.

"Ugh, she's kind of touchy, isn't she?" Silphy asked me playfully.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Apparently." I told her.

Silphy turned back to Ivy. "My dear, I said, "She's ugly." As in, you are unattractive." Ivy swung her hammer around again, and Silphy and me dodged quickly, the attack smashing into the ground.

"Y'know, this wouldn't be such a problem is me weren't in such a small space…" I started. However, Ivy raised one hand and fired a jet of water at me, and I whipped out my staff, held it up defensively, and froze the stream in midair. I dropped to the ground and shattered.

"Not bad," Silphy gave me a thumbs-up. I beamed, then made haste and leaped at Ivy, delivering a sharp kick that she narrowly avoided. She retaliated, and swung her hammer at me in a complete circle. I ducked away, but she quickly shot another water attack and knocked me several feet back.

"Oh my." Alessio muttered, watching us have at it.

That was all hell broke loose, in the sense that Silphy decided to step in. In a brilliant golden flash, a long, coiling whip took form in her hand, and she struck out wildly. Ivy ducked and dodged, but Silphy matched her strike for strike, and managed actually to land an attack or two.

I, not being one to sit out during a fight, nimbly bound at Ivy again, whipping my staff across in a dramatic arc, hurling a powerful gust of ice at her. She wobbled, and stumbled backward, grabbing the edge of the building to steady herself. Silphy and I landed softly on the ground and slapped each other a high five.

Ivy's hammer clattered to the ground, and she growled angrily. Silphy raised out hand, electricity crackling around it lightly. Ivy glared, raised one hand, and snapped her fingers sharply.

Well, that was when things got difficult. The wind shifted, and ViVid's unconscious form materialized before her, his wrist held in shackles, dropping roughly to the ground, as Ivy reached out and grasped him in one arm.

"Now then, children." She sneered and gripped ViVid's throat. "Let's not get violent shall we?"

Ivy already had a way of ticking me off – acting wholly superior with that nasty smile of her's – but now my blood was really boiling. My eyes narrowed.

Ivy grinned with an even worse sicky-ness about her, clearly comprehending and enjoying how much she could infuriated me. Alessio slinked up beside me. Ivy tipped her head slightly, and spoke with false kindness. "You're getting in my mistress' way." She reported to us, like I cared, and raised one hand. "Such children should not be trusted with such power. Now, you little ones hand over those Charms nicely, and nothing bad has to happen."

Ivy gazed triumphantly; satisfied she had us backed into a corner. Sure, ViVid could be annoying… but that didn't mean I would possibly condone that something like this.

Alessio peeked up at me, his eyes pleading. I knew just what he meant. I growled at Ivy, and then I sighed. And, slowly, I let me staff ease up from its defensive pose, and it shifted back to its Arcana Charm form. Silphy looked at me, but didn't react much.

I clutched the Magician lightly in my hand, and then gradually held it out. Ivy smirked, but before either of us could do anything else, a low, rumbling humming sound droned through the air.

I blinked and jumped slightly in surprise, and then I realized where the sound was coming from. I glanced down at Alessio in confusion, and then ViVid's Charm, which Alessio had clipped snuggly onto his goggles, pulses and exploded with light. And not just light; the wind suddenly roared and rushed all around us, and the combination of the wind and the glow made me pull me hands it to protectively to cover my eyes.

I couldn't see at all, and the wind even knocked me down to the cobble stone ground. The airstream whipped around for what felt like forever, although, in retrospect, it was probably just a minute.

When the wind started to lighten, I immediately jumped to my feet, something I found still difficult what with the wind and all. I pulled my hands away from my face, and stared on in bewilderment. Ivy was bruised and knocked to the ground by the massive sphere of wind that filled a large part of the alley. Silphy had been pushed down, too, and was clutching the side of the building, with Alessio tightly wrapped around her ankle to keep himself from blowing away.

And, right in the center of the wind sphere and all the bedlam, was ViVid. His handcuffs hand fallen away, and his Arcana Charm, the Lovers, was floating before him. His eyes were still closed, but I don't think he had every struck me as more powerful than he did right now. I called out his name.

It was incredible.

Only one problem; it was also destructive. Chunks of stone from the ground and bricks from the buildings were coming detached, and hurtling through the air. Some got caught in the pull of the rotating ball of wind, while others just smashed into the building walls, or the ground. "VIVID!" I shouted again. He didn't seem to hear. And, slowly, pushing through as hard as I could, I approached. Silphy yelled something I didn't quite catch.

I managed to push through to the sphere, but as soon as I reached out to touch it, her hand recoiled back. I held out the Magician, and let it become my staff. I stood firm and raised by staff out defensively in front of me. I gritted my teeth, and pressed on.

The wind fought against me, but I pushed forward, and broke through finally. I panted and shook, and was surprised how calm the inside of the sphere was. I reached out gently, grasping ViVid's hand. His body was pulsing, and the Lovers glowed brighter. I gently tugged on his hand, and ViVid's eyes burst open, glowing pure white.

I dispelled my staff, and gently pulled him towards me, and held him tightly. The wind roared around me, and I felt both our Charms throbbing with power. But I stood my ground, squeezed my eyes shut, and pressed on against it all.

And suddenly, everything stopped. Everything stood still.

Just like that, the wind orb, the storm, the falling-apart alleyway, everything – completely stopped. ViVid fell limp, the Lovers clattered to the ground, but it seemed to hang in the air for a split second before it touched the dirt and stone.

Ivy sputtered incoherently, and scrambled back in shock. Still trembling, she raised her palm weakly, and the Tower, which had gone back to its Charm form sometime during the mayhem, shot through the air and back to her hand.

Silphy rose, wobbly, to her feet, and Alessio gently uncurled from her leg. She shook her head wearily, and walked over to ViVid and me.

To tell you the truth, I was so relieved and frightened, that I practically forgot that I was hugging ViVid until I felt his breath light on my shoulder. I flinched slightly, opened my eyes, and pulled away. ViVid started to collapse, and I immediately grasped his arm to support him. Silphy grabbed his other arm, and we steadied him gently.

His eyes fluttered open lightly. Alessio shot forward, leaping upon to his arm and slithering up to his shoulders. "V-ViVid!" he sputtered. "Boss, you're not dead!"

ViVid mumbled a little, and then managed a light "Ow."

I tensed up another sound. A light, sarcastic clapping noise. My gaze shot up immediately.

Standing beside a shivering Ivy, another new person, a man about Ivy's age, smiled slightly and applauded. "Very intriguing. And quite impressive." The man began. He had dark eyes that looked black in the watery light in the alley. "You're really something else."

Alessio glared. "What do you people want?" He barked.

The unknown man stopped clapping, and gently reached over to help Ivy to her feet. "Us? Nothing truly. It's is our mistress' wish that we seek to grant." He informed us.

That was four times now that I'd heard mention of this "mistress". Whoever she was, she seemed like bad news incarnate.

"V-vision! Oh, god, you're here! I knew you wouldn't leave me." Ivy sputtered gratefully, leaning on his arm for support.

Vision gazed softly at her. "Of course I wouldn't, Martha." He said, his voice laced with genuine kindness, with was, to say the least, surprising. Then, he turned back to us, and his eyes locked on Alessio. "Mistress hasn't forgotten, defector."

With that, Vision and Ivy dissolved from sight with a dark grey radiance.

* * *

(A/N: _While writing this, I kept wondering "Is this getting to long?" I guess I decided that it should be long, because… I don't know, I just feel like I've accomplished more when I write longer chapters. And this beats last chapter as the longest I've ever written. I really liked writing the big fight in the alleyway, by the way. It was fun experimenting with the detail and scenario._)


	3. Captivated

The boy strode down the hall at a slow, steady, concentrated pace, the eye not covered by his bangs glued to the clipboard he held in his slender hand. "Priority one, Bianca Butterfield… failed to control. An amateur Arcane Wielder. Result unacceptable. Priority two, ViVid Evans… expected reaction gain, but failed to control. Further measures will be undertaken. Unexpected priority, Silphy Hinagiku…"

He quickly jotted something down, and flipped over the sheet of paper he was examining. "Stupid, stupid Ivy." He mutter, exasperated.

The approaching footsteps, tentative at first but then rapid, did nothing to draw away the boy's attention, until the gentle voice that accompanied them was heard.

"Hello, Heivei… Ar-are you working?" She asked hesitantly.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. The recent results are… quite disconcerting." He let his gaze lift to meet hers, and immediately his frustration felt soothed. Her eyes, as odd as their mismatching shades and unusual dullness was, were quiet and gentle.

Not eyes that should be seeing for Her Majesty Salem. And he would change that. Even if it meant losing her trust, like ViVid's was lost, C.C. should not have to be what Salem was going to make her.

* * *

"Ow… Ow! Geez, Mouse, can't you be little gentler? Ow!"

I hissed in a sharp breath and tried to hold on to my patience as much as I could. "Well," I said through gritted teeth. "Maybe if you could _hold still_, this would be a problem and I would be so tempted to re-open all your healing wounds." ViVid narrowed his eyes in that slanty way he does when he's annoyed (I guess I'm just observant, but I've already picked up on all these little quirks my new companions had.)

"You know something? You will _never_ be a good housewife." He stated, before folding his arms behind his head and leisurely leaning back against my wall. I sighed irritably and slapped a band-aid on a scratch on his forehead that was starting to bleed again.

"Now, now…" I gave a lazy glance over my shoulder at Silphy, who was–don't ask me how– hanging upside down from my top bed bunk, with that same passively cheerful amber gaze. "You, my dear, and you, my other dear, really need to lighten up." She proclaimed. Silphy, in another acrobatic, potentially-physics-defying feat, pulled herself up, flipped over and landed lightly on my messy wooden floor. She adjusted the bandanna tied loosely around her neck, which had shifted around when she had hopped down.

"Ah. My point exactly." ViVid smirked at my response to that, which was some forced combination of growling and scoffing in disbelief. I was glad Silphy didn't have to stay at my place, too. Between the two of them, I'd probably be more likely to loose it and kill someone than I would be to save the world.

But, hey, just another sanity-taxing day in the life of Bianca Butterfield, right?

So, the verdict of yesterday's brawl? No one dead, ViVid looking like her got hit by a truck, Ivy and Whatshisface gone for at least a day now, and Alessio really quiet and contemplate-y.

Oh, right. That reminds me.

"Ahem." I coughed, trying-and-failing to be subtle. "Alessio?" He didn't look up, and continued licking thoughtfully at the dish of vanilla ice cream ViVid had brought him. Since ViVid was mostly okay (in a manner of speaking) and he and Silphy were engaging in a conversation of some sort, I hopped of the corner of my bed and crouched in front of the chair Alessio was curled up on.

"Alessio?"

Alessio was muttering something to himself, still completely oblivious to my presence.

"Alessio? ALESSIO?" He flinched suddenly at the raise in my voice, knocking his ice cream dish off the corner of the chair. In a flash of red, Silphy jolted over, snatched it from the air, and returned to its spot beside Alessio, a bit further from the edge, all in one deft movement.

"Oh…thank you, Silphy." Alessio said, his voice dull and his mind clearly still miles away. "I didn't notice you there, Bianca. I…was thinking…"

I sighed, but smiled a little. "Yeah, I gathered. Alessio…I kinda need to ask you something." By this point, Silphy and ViVid had moved over to my end of the bed, interested in what was being said.

"_Mistress hasn't forgotten, defector."_

Vision's words had been hanging heavily in my mind since yesterday. "Alessio…That guy from before…he _knew _you. And he said…"

Alessio shot a glance at ViVid, and, curiously, I glance at him myself, trying to be discreet. ViVid looked solemn, but gave Alessio a slight nod.

Thus, Alessio began to explain. "Well…it's a long story…" Yeah, I sensed an understatement. "But… I should probably start by explain who those two are."

"I had been suspecting it was them for a while…and even after we encountered Ivy, I wasn't sure... But I don't think there's any denying now." He shook his head, like he was trying to shake an unpleasant thought from it. "The Salem Apostles have returned."

ViVid grimaced, but nodded silently. Silphy looked confused. "Uh, how? Salem, the most decidedly _un_-dearest, is dead." She looked from Alessio to ViVid and back again. "Right?"

"Well, about that…" ViVid laughed nervously. "It's a pretty interesting story, actually." Silphy still looked puzzled. ViVid reached over and decked her on the forehead. "Her Arcane Element _is death_, Angel. You really think killing her is gonna keep her down that long?"

_Angel_? Who is he calling–…Never mind, not important. "Excuse me!" I barked sharply. "Can _someone_ give me a clear answer here? What's a–"

"Bianca, honey?" My mom knocked on the door a little, and nudged her heads in. "There's some hot water on the stove if you guys want some hot chocolate." She looked over at Silphy. "Um, how long do you plan on staying…"Silphy", wasn't it?"

Silphy nodded. "It was. And I don't have anything going on today, so I can hang out with ViVid and Bia all day."

"Bia?" I scoffed, giving her a look.

"Better than Mouse." ViVid offered.

"Okay. I just wanted to know…" Mom said, ignoring ViVid's and my comments. "Say, I haven't heard much about you before… Did you just move here, Silphy?"

Silphy grinned. "I did! I'll be starting school this Monday." She threw her arm around my neck and yanked me other to her. "And, guess what? I'm in Bianca's homeroom!"

How she knew what my homeroom was is beyond me.

Mom smiled an oblivious mom smiled. "That's great! It was nice to meet you."

"You too, Mrs. Butterfield! Now, about that hot chocolate…"

* * *

A few minutes and hot cocoa all around, the four of us had relocated to the dining room table. Silphy had decided to help herself to some leftover sweet potato pie, and my mother was in the other room working on something for work on her computer, so she would hopefully stay out of our hair for a little while.

"So, first of all…" I started. "Who is Salem, what's an Arcane Element, and who the heck are the Salem Apostles?"

Alessio, who had his head in ViVid's cup of cocoa, looked up and gazed at me for a long minute. Silphy set down her fork and ViVid fiddle with a bit of his hair, waiting for his response. Alessio shifted his goggles, and then began to speak. "Salem Witchfield is…an Arcane Wielder, like the three of you." He gaze us all a sweeping look. "But… she was of the "failures", as Mother would call them – it's a pretty harsh term if you ask me, though – who chose to use her powers for her own evil, purposes…"

"Like I said," ViVid added. "Her Arcane Element is death itself. An Arcane Element is the elemental power Arcane Wielders gain after they're accepted. Like, you have ice, Silphy has electricity."

Alessio nodded, and continued his explanation. "Normally, a "failure" like Salem wouldn't be too hard to handle – there are plenty of other loyal Wielders to stop her – but she…managed to sway others to her way of thinking, and they too abandoned Mother and joined Salem. They're the Salem Apostles."

"You mean Ivy and Vision?" I asked him. Now, things were starting to make sense.

"Y-yeah…" To my surprise, it was ViVid who answered me. "Them, and…" he shift uncomfortably, and gazed into the thick dark drink in his mug. "…others." Alessio's eyes shot to his "boss" and suddenly looked sympathetic.

And the confusion returns.

Alessio absent-mindedly licked a drop of cocoa from his paw. "Some Wielders…only very powerful ones…and only under certain circumstances…can turn living things into Remnants."

Silphy nibbled apprehensively on the end of her fork. "And you, my small and furry dear, think that Salem is making all the Remnants that we've been taking out?" Alessio nodded.

"Pretty much."

"Well!" I said loudly, causing Silphy, Alessio, and even the suddenly silent ViVid to jump in surprise. "That's…nice to know! And would have been a lot nice to know _sooner_!" If I was shouting, I didn't care. I really didn't.

"W-well…There wasn't much of a point of telling you before, when we didn't really think Salem was involved…but now we do…so we did tell you." Alessio commented, slowly and awkwardly. Yeah, I still wasn't convinced. Beside, there was still one thing he hadn't answered for me.

I gave him a sharp glare. "Not _all_ of it!" I pointed out. "Why did Vision say that to you? Were you–"

"He was." ViVid's voice was blunt and dull, and he still looked downcast. Alessio looked taken aback at the sudden response, but nodded solemnly.

"Yes, it's true. I used to… agree with some of Salem's ideas. She wasn't always so bad! When she was a young, eager Wielder, Salem was…endearing. The sort of person my kind just _takes to_…"

"And, what, exactly, does _your kind_ entail?" I snapped.

"Terran ascended." ViVid said with a small shrug.

"And what the heck does that mean?" I demanded, slamming my hand down on the table.

The cocoa in my cup rippled and completely froze over. Alessio was clearly startled, and started to say something. I didn't care what he had to say. I got up from the table and dash from the room.

My mom looked up as I when by. "I'm walking over to the playground!" I told her quickly as I ran by.

"But, what about–" Her voice was shrill as I practically threw the door open.

"I'll be back before dinner!" I shouted behind me as I closed the door and stumbled down the stairs, turning to bolt down the sidewalk. "Meh…probably."

* * *

_(A/N: I am SO SORRY I took forever to update. Thankfully, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. What will happen next time? Wait and see! And hopefully you won't have to wait as long as you did for this…)_


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